SCID Newborn Testing Progress

SCID New Born Testing Progress

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) is a primary immunodeficiency disease. Babies with SCID appear healthy at birth, but without early treatment, most often by bone marrow transplant from a healthy donor, these infants cannot survive. It is imperative therefore that new born screening programs are established.

As of November 2015 all but 6 states in the USA are now testing or trialling  New born testing for SCID. IDFNZ supports introducing the same testing here in New Zealand; Immunology medical professionals and SCID patients are adding their voice to this initiative.

Dr Jan Sinclair was recently invited to attend the National Screening Advisory Committee Meeting (NSAC), to support the proposal to add severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) to the new born Screening Programme panel of disorders, and to contribute to the discussion.

NSAC has since endorsed the inclusion of SCID to the panel of disorders. This is a significant step forward. The next step is for the Newborn Screening unit to report back on implementation timeframes for NSAC to review the outcomes of the addition of SCID to the Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme.